Why company values matter
And how to make them stick.
Hi there 👋,
I’ve always loved the idea of company values.
People who know me well might be surprised by this, as I’m not exactly what you’d describe as a sentimental person.
But I love the values that drive a company forward, rather than just a focus on revenue or targets.
Google has some great company values, like:
Fast is better than slow
You don’t need to be at your desk to need an answer
There’s always more information out there
Gusto, a HR platform popular in the U.S., also has some big dreams for their company:
Embody a service mindset
Embrace an ownership mentality
Build with humility
It varies per company, but there are always certain motivations driving them, aspects they want the company to revolve around.
When you look at it this way, how could you not love company values?
Well, maybe when you realise how infrequently they amount to anything.
I failed to set up company values
At my first job in the growth industry, I was put in charge of company values.
I took it very seriously, and went through a data-driven process to determine the right values - what do you expect from placing a growth hacker in charge of them?
From over 100 values, I narrowed it down to five core values that represented our team.
There was a big presentation, posters were printed, and we even made a fancy little brand booklet.
But within a few weeks, they were history.
No one mentioned them, no one did anything differently, and no one actually cared.
So I lost my faith in company values, and figured they were just another filler for the website.
Giving values a second chance
Then I started working at Heights as their Head of Growth, and I was sceptical of their company values.
They claimed that these were truly important to them - yeah, sure, I’d heard that one before.
Then they decided to redefine their values as a team, rather than the previous ones that the two founders had made, ultimately creating:
Care without compromise
Trust and be trusted
Keep a sense of humour and humility
Grow for it
But this was different, as we actually brought these values to life.
To be honest, I was still a little hesitant. It felt like entering a new relationship after a bad one.
You desperately want to believe they’re different, but you’re still waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I guess I needed to “Trust and be trusted”, so I did.
How we brought our values to life
Heights was and remains different. It wasn’t just marketing talk, they believed in their values.
It didn’t just stay at that first value session, the values remained a point of conversation in the weeks after.
We brought the values to life, for example:
We gave nicknames to each value - my favourite being The Trust Truffle Hound Dogs
We set each value an emoji to represent it on Slack, and be used often
We set three key behaviours to each value
We integrated the values into onboarding
We considered what demonstrates that value, and challenged people to live up to it
My scepticism quickly faded as it worked, it truly worked.
People would push each other to live up to that value, and push themselves to do the same.
It was common to respond to a new idea with “Grow for it!”
A little bit corny, but I actually love it.
How can you ensure your values are successful?
1. Get values in as early as possible. Your values should be a part of company culture from your very first employee. Don’t wait another moment, as bringing values into an experienced team is far more difficult.
2. Leadership needs to stand behind the values. While the values should come from the whole team, your leadership needs to believe in them, as this impacts the whole team. If they don’t act in the same way as the values, then no one will.
3. Make it a key part of recruitment and onboarding. One of your interviews should be dedicated to values, and the behaviours that make up that value. Once hired, have a half-hour dedicated to each value.
4. Make your values 3D. To ensure that values are more than just a few words, consider the behaviours and actions that make up these values. How is this value translated to your customers?
5. Make the values a part of everyday language. Be very particular with the wording of your values and then use them as a response. Make it the answer to a question. “Should we do….” “Grow for it!”
Recommendation
In every edition of Growth Waves, I also share a related book, individual or newsletter to check out related to the week's topic.
Values are key to building a strong culture within your company, so there’s no better book to recommend than ‘The Culture Code’ by Daniel Coyle.
In this book, Daniel analyses top-performing company cultures to find what truly works.
He goes into more detail about those values from Google, but also looks at the US Navy SEALS for a stark contrast.
Not only is it a very insightful book, but it’s also super enjoyable to read!
You can also learn more about my experiences with company values in this article I wrote, including how they drive your growth.
Values are what bring us together, and what keep us going through challenges. It ensures that we’re all working in the same direction.
Not all values have to be made equal, some can be more important than others.
For a fun challenge, consider the values of a relationship in your life.
When it comes to my dog, we both value long walks in nature, which help to keep me sane during busy weeks.
We also value time together on the sofa, and I’ve recently discovered that he is a big fan of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.
Chat soon,
Daphne